Splice protection sleeve

ABSTRACT

A splice protection sleeve includes two half-shells provided with means for assembling them into a shell and at least two end flanges, each of them consisting of sub-flanges assembled by assembling means so as to form an opening for the passage of a cable, the assembling means including two dovetail bars and a wedge joining the two bars together.  
     Furthermore, in a splice protection sleeve according to the invention, the half-shell includes, on the inner face, a cam which extends in the circumferential direction and is followed in this direction by a housing and the flange includes a stub intended to push the cam back before entering the housing.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is a United States national application claimingpriority to International Application No. PCT/EP02/06832, filed on Jun.20, 2002, which claims priority to French Patent Application No.0108597, filed on Jun. 29, 2001 and French Patent Application No.0108602, filed Jun. 29, 2001.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates to splice protection sleeves usedespecially in the telecommunications field for the purpose of protectinga cable, especially a power cable or a telephone cable such as afibre-optic cable. Furthermore, the present invention relates to spliceprotection sleeves used especially to protect the splices of power ortelecommunications cables, such as a fibre-optic cable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Already known is a splice protection sleeve which may comprisetwo half-shells provided with means for assembling them into a shell ora split shell or a bell-shaped shell. The sleeve has at least one endflange, each flange consisting of at least two sub-flanges togetherdefining a semicircular opening. There may for example be twohalf-flanges or three sub-flanges. The sub-flanges are assembled byremovable assembling means, namely by screws for firmly clamping thecable.

[0004] This assembling by screws has many drawbacks on site. Oftenseizures may occur or a nut may be missing. Before mounting, measuresmust be taken to ensure that the screws cannot be lost. They musttherefore be placed in a bag to be supplied at the same time as the restof the plastic parts for constructing the sleeve. This complicates thepackaging and the delivery of parts intended to allow the sleeve to beconstructed on site. The screws may furthermore be easily lost. They arerelatively small in size and, at the place where they are mounted,considerable forces are applied to the plastic parts, forces which causethe plastic to undergo premature ageing.

[0005] The invention remedies these drawbacks by a splice protectionsleeve which can consist only of plastic parts and can be mounted andremoved very quickly.

[0006] The splice protection sleeve of the abovementioned type ischaracterized in that the assembling means include two dovetail bars anda wedge joining the two bars together, the sub-flanges have a tappedportion, and a deformable ring having at least one elastic part isinterposed between the tapped portion and an at least partlyfrustoconical two-part threaded annulus. The annulus, whose insidediameter of the small transverse surface is smaller than the outsidediameter of the undeformed ring, being screwed into the tapped portionof the opening, by being inserted thereinto via its transverse surfaceof large inside diameter.

[0007] Thus, the screws are entirely replaced with a wedging arrangementobtained with the aid of plastic parts.

[0008] According to one embodiment, the two bars stem from the twofacing-edge generatrices of two half-flanges. This particularly simpleembodiment is especially suitable when the flange has only one openingor only two openings for the passage of cables. But when there are moreopenings, and especially four openings, it is preferred that the twoassembling bars be provided on the inner face of a split collarsurrounding the sub-flanges along the edges of the slit of this collarrespectively. Thus, a multiplicity of wedges and bars does not have tobe provided.

[0009] The furthest-apart axial edges of the two bars make between thema wedging angle and, according to a preferred embodiment, for ensuringthat the wedge is properly held in place on the bars, the faces thathave the furthest-apart axial edges and the edges common with the collarmake between them a taper angle.

[0010] The wedge may have two branches joined together by a transversepart cooperating with a stop made on the flange. In the open position,the abutting of the transverse piece on the stop prevents the wedge frombeing lost. In the closed position, that is to say when the wedge clampsthe collar, this stop prevents the wedge from coming out inopportunelyand from unclamping the collar.

[0011] The wedge may also include a handle allowing it to be easilymanipulated and also forming a screen so that inopportune access to thestop is more difficult and any disassembly of the base of the wedge fromthe stop is made improbable.

[0012] There is another drawback of a splice protection sleevecomprising two half-shells as known from the prior art. The twohalf-shells are closed by two end flanges which define an opening forthe passage of a cable or of several cables. At least one end flange hasan outer circumferential groove in which a seal is placed, which sealmay be in the form of a solid rubber seal or a seal made of an elastomermaterial often called a gel. The half-shell includes an inwardlyprojecting portion intended to penetrate the seal, in order to properlycompress the seal.

[0013] The point where sealing is most difficult to ensure is the pointwhere both the half-shells and the flange meet and where the seal isstressed in two different directions, namely in the circumferentialdirection and in the longitudinal direction.

[0014] According to another aspect, the invention remedies this drawbackby an arrangement which improves the sealing provided by the seal.

[0015] According to this aspect of the invention, the half-shellincludes, on the inner face, a cam which extends in the circumferentialdirection and is followed in this direction by a housing, and the flangeincludes a stub placed so as to push the cam back before entering thehousing when the half-shell is moved closer to the flange.

[0016] During mounting, while the half-shell is being put into placefrom the top or from below onto the flange, both parts being made ofplastic, the stub firstly pushes the cam, and therefore the half-shell,back so as to force it to deform and open up, in order for thehalf-shell to come onto the flange, and especially onto the elastomer orgel seal, approximately perpendicular to the latter and no longer in adirection substantially tangential thereto. It is only when the stubpenetrates the housing that the half-shell suddenly resumes its positionwithout beforehand having made the seal undergo a rolling motion. Now,it is this rolling motion in the circumferential direction whichhitherto created a build-up of material at the triple point, giving riseto leakage lines, making closure more difficult and necessarily causingat other places a reduction in the amount of material of the seal, whichcompromised the sealing. The co-operation of the stub with the housingfurthermore ensures that there is a link between the half-shell and theflange.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] In the appended drawings, given solely by way of example:

[0018]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a sleeve according to theinvention;

[0019]FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating an end flange;

[0020]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a mounted end flange;

[0021]FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the collar;

[0022]FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating the wedge;

[0023]FIG. 6 is a sectional view on the line VI-VI in FIG. 5;

[0024]FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the ring;

[0025]FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a protective sleeve according tothe invention when the half-shells are a certain distance apart;

[0026]FIG. 9 is a partial perspective view of the flange used accordingto the invention;

[0027]FIG. 10 is a partial perspective view of the inside of thehalf-shell used according to the invention; and

[0028]FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the sleeve of FIG. 8 when thecams are co-operating with the stubs.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0029] The splice protection sleeve shown in FIG. 1 comprises a lowerhalf-shell 1 and an upper half-shell 2. Provided along the longitudinalfree edges of the shell 1 are snap-fastening teeth 3 conjugate withsnap-fastening openings 4 made along the free longitudinal edges of thehalf-shell 2. These snap-fastening means allow the half-shells to beassembled into a shell after two flanges 5, 6, respectively, have beeninterposed at the ends.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 2, each flange consists of two half-flanges 7, 8which define two semicircular openings 9 and are assembled by a pair ofremovable assembling means consisting respectively, on the one hand, oftwo dovetail bars 10, 11 stemming from the two facing-edge generatrices12 of the two half-flanges 7 and 8, and of a wedge 13 joining the twobars together and having the shape of a plate, the recess of which isconjugate with the shape of the joined-together bars. The half-flangesinclude a tapping 14. A longitudinally split ring 15 is interposedbetween the tapped portion 14 of the sub-flanges and a frustoconicalthreaded annulus 16 made in two parts joined together by studs 17. Theannulus 16 is inserted into the opening 9 via its transverse surface oflarge inside diameter. The inside diameter of the small transversesurface of the annulus 16 is smaller than the outside diameter of thering 15 when it is not deformed.

[0031] During mounting, the two half-flanges 7 and 8 are assembled byslipping the wedges 13 over the bars 10, 11 and then the split ring 15and the annulus 16 are slipped on, by screwing the annulus 16 into thetapping 14 until the split ring 15 deforms so as to be in close contactwith the outer face of the cable C which had been placed beforehandbetween the half-flanges 7, 8. The cable C is thus well clamped.

[0032] In FIG. 3, the flange comprises three sub-flanges 19, 20, 21which are assembled so as to form four openings 22 for the passage offour cables. The assembling means comprise a collar 23 surrounding theouter face of the sub-flanges 19, 20, 21. This collar, which may be moreclearly seen in FIG. 4, is split along a longitudinal slit 24. Alongeach of the edges of the slit 24, molded with the inside of the collar,is a dovetail bar 25, 26. The furthest-apart axial edges 27 of the twobars 25, 26 make a wedging angle a between them. The faces 28 that havefour sides, on the one hand, these edges 27 and, on the other hand, theedges 29 common with the collar make between them a taper angle b.

[0033] The sub-flanges 19, 20 and 21 are held together by the fact thatthe collar 23 is held clamped against it by the cooperation of thedovetail bars 25, 26 and of a wedge which may be more clearly seen inFIG. 5 and FIG. 6.

[0034] This wedge, which, like all the other parts mentioned hitherto,is made of plastic, has a base 31 from which two branches 32, 33 stem,these branches making between them a wedging angle a. The two branchesare connected via a transverse piece 34. A handle 35 is provided on theother side of the base 31. As shown in FIG. 6, the inner faces of thebranches 32, 33 make between them an angle b in the plane of sectionVI-VI in FIG. 5.

[0035] Engaged respectively in each opening 22 of the flange is a ring36 which includes a part 37 in the form of multiple bars terminating ininwardly directed teeth 38. The ring consists of two portions joinedtogether by male and female parts 39. An annulus 16 is then alsoinserted into each opening so that the bars 37 of the ring 36 deformelastically inwards because the small side of the frustoconical annulus16 has a smaller diameter than that of the ring when it is not deformedand so that the teeth 38 penetrate the cable C inserted into theopening. The cable is thus well clamped.

[0036] The splice protection sleeve shown in FIG. 8 comprises twohalf-shells 51 and 52 which may be closed along their longitudinal edgesby closure means 53 and 54. Furthermore, the half-shells 51, 52 areclosed at their transverse ends by flanges 55, 56.

[0037] In FIG. 9, the end flange has an outer circumferential groove 57in which an elastomer seal 58 is placed.

[0038] In FIG. 10, the half-shell has two inwardly projecting ribs 59,60 intended to penetrate the seal 58 when the protective sleeve is fullymounted. On the inner face, the half-shell has respectively two cams 61which extend in the circumferential direction and which are followed inthis direction by housings 62.

[0039] In FIG. 11, the flange has a stub 63 intended to push the cam 61back before entering the housing 62.

[0040] During mounting, the half-shell is moved towards the flange.Initially, the cams 61 and the stubs 63 come respectively into contactso that the half-shell 52 deforms and opens up. It is only when thestubs 63 reach the housings 62 and enter therein that the half-shell 52resumes its initial position and that the ribs 59, 60 come into contactwith the seal 58 and penetrate it. During mounting, the seal 58 is thushardly stressed in a direction other than normal to its surface.

[0041] The cams 61 are placed on each side of the ribs 60 at alongitudinal distance approximately equal or slightly greater than thethickness of a flange.

[0042] Each cam 61 is close to the longitudinal edge of the half-shell52. The same applies to the other longitudinal edge of the half-shell52. There are therefore in total eight cams per half-shell, four amongthem corresponding to four stubs made on the same flange. Two stubs areon one face of the flange and two others on the opposite face. The sameapplies to the second flange.

1. Splice protection sleeve having a flange consisting of at least twosub-flanges assembled by removable assembling means so as to leave acircular opening for passage of a cable, wherein: the assembling meansinclude two dovetail bars and a wedge joining the two bars together; thesub-flanges have a tapped portion; and a deformable ring is interposedbetween the tapped portion and an at least partly frustoconical two-partthreaded annulus, the annulus, whose inside diameter of the smalltransverse surface is smaller than the outside diameter of theundeformed ring, being screwed into the tapped portion of the opening,by being inserted thereinto via its transverse surface of large insidediameter.
 2. Sleeve according to claim 1, wherein the two dovetail barsstem from the two facing-edge generatrices of the two half-flanges. 3.Sleeve according to claim 1, wherein the two dovetail bars are providedon the inner face of a split collar surrounding the sub-flanges alongthe edges of the slit of the collar.
 4. Sleeve according to claim 3,wherein the furthest-apart axial edges of the two dovetail bars makebetween them a wedging angle (a) and the faces that have sidescomprising the axial edges and the edges common with the collar makebetween them a taper angle (b).
 5. Sleeve according to claim 1, whereinthe ring is split longitudinally.
 6. Splice protection sleeve comprisingtwo half-shells closed by two end flanges, at least one end flangehaving an outer circumferential groove in which a seal is placed and onehalf-shell having an inwardly projecting portion intended to penetratethe seal, the half-shell comprising, on the inner face, a cam whichextends in the circumferential direction and is followed in thisdirection by a housing and the flange includes a stub placed so as topush the cam back before entering the housing when the half-shell ismoved closer to the flange.
 7. Sleeve according to claim 6, wherein thecam is close to the longitudinal edge of the half-shell.
 8. Sleeveaccording to claim 7, further comprising a cam close to eachlongitudinal edge of the half-shell.
 9. Sleeve according to claim 8,further comprising two cams close to each longitudinal edge of thehalf-shell.
 10. Sleeve according to claim 9, further comprising fourstubs for each flange.